Stamp-affixing machine.



F. R. ALLEN.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1911.

1,1 27,843. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Fig 1 /2 Fig 3.

6 women HEB S1 FETCH.

FRED R. ALLEN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE TSLAND, ASSIGNOR. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL ENVELOPE SEALING AND STAMPING MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed April 12, 1811. Serial No. 620,631.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Farm R. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Aliixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for affixing stamps or labels to envelope and other matter, and has particular reference to that type of such machines which are operated by a hand driven plunger, the stamps or labels to be supplied being fed in the form of a strip which is intermittently advanced.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated having means whereby the plunger may be firmly locked against operation, and the strip of stamps at the same time to be so held that it cannot be pulled forward by any unauthorized person seeking to remove stamps for use elsewhere.

It is found in practice absolutely necessary that the forward feeding stroke should carry the stamp absolutely to a given line so that the knife will cut the strip each time at exactly the right place between the stamps.

Therefore a further object of my invention is to provide simple and effective means whereby the extent of the forward or feeding movement may be regulated so that the machine may be adjusted to compensaterfor variations in different rolls of the same variety of stamps, and also that the same machine may be regulated to feed stamps or labels of other shapes and sizes.

\Vith these and other ObjQClZS in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a stamp table with my stamp strip locking pawl pivotally secured thereto. Fig. 3- illustrates the locking member which locks the pawl and the stamp feeding mechanism at the same time. Fig. 4- is an enlarged detail of one of the feeding pawls. F1g. 5 1s a plan view showing'a gang of feeding pawls.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all of the views. 1 designates the casing'i'for a stamp aflixlng machine, which may be made in any desired shape or size, a substantially semicylindrical cap 2 being hinged at 3, the same being adapted to be swung back from the main casing to permit the roll of stamps 4, mounted on the spindle 5, to be placed Within the casing. The detail construction of this casing is more particularly described 1n *my co-pending application Serial No. 614,097. The end a of the stamp strip is led by suitable guides, not shown, from this roll over the table 6 through the slot 7 in the knife 8 where it is severed by the blade 9 attached to the plunger foot 10, which foot is adapted to be forced down by the hand driven plunger 11 or by power driven mechanism, if desired. Mounted in the side walls of the casing is a rock shaft 12 having an arm 13 operatively connected to the plunger 11 and having a lower arm 14. The rock shaft and its two arms collectively constitute the operating lever which transmits motion from the plunger to the other interior portions of the machine. The arm 14 is formed with a slot, one portion 15 of which is curved concentric with the axis of the rock shaft 12, this curved or arched slot connecting at one end with a slot 16 which is substantially radial to the axis of the rock shaft 12. Normally when the plunger is raised the pin 17 of the lever arm 18 rests in the radial slot portion 16, the parts being yieldingly held in this position by means of a spring 19 connecting the arm 14 with a lug 20 of the base or frame. The construction and operation of these parts is more fully described in my above-mentioned copending application Serial Number 614,097. gang of small fingers 21 is shown as being mounted on the pivot pin 22 in the lever 18. The rear ends of these fingers are each provided with a corresponding hole 23 through which a wire 24 is adapted to pass and fit loosely in said holes so as to permit said fingers to yield individually and independent of the others as they engage the strip of stamps. A single spring 25 is con-. neeted at one end at the point 26 to this wire 24, the opposite end of said spring being attached at a point 27 above the table so as to exert theproper engaging tension on said fingers.

A feature of this invention .is that the upper end of the lever arm 18 is provided with a screw 28 passing therethrough so that one end of said screw when the parts are in their normal or forward position may rest against the rear edge of the lever 14 by means of which the extent of the forward movement of the feeding mechanism may be controlled by simply adjusting this screw 28.

It is found in practice that the distances between the lines of perforation in the different rolls of the same variety of stamps are apt to vary slightly, also that different rolls of different varieties of stamps or labels are apt to vary still more, therefore by my means for adjusting the extent of the forward or feeding stroke, the machine may be readily made to accommodate itself to these variations, so that the strips will be acc'urately fed to the exact line where they are to be severed by the knife.

Another feature of my present invention is the provision of a pawl 29 pivoted at 30 between the ears 31 projecting upward from the table 6, said pawl being disposed to rest upon the stamp strip forward of the vertical axis of its pivoting point, and said pawl is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 32 offset at 33 to carry'it outward along the outer edge of the table, the rear end of this arm being turned outward as at 34 for engaging the cam presently described. A spring 35 is hooked under this rearwardly extending arm,see Fig. 2, causing the pawl to press lightly against the strip of stamps a as it is fed forward to prevent any possible tendency to a backward movement of said strip.

To prevent unauthorized persons from withdrawing the stamp strip from the machine, and also from operating the machine in any way, I have provided a member pivoted by the screw 36 to the table and frictionally held by the spring washer 40. This member is provided with a cam portion 37, a lever engaging arm 38 having an outwardly turned end 41, and an operating handle 39 all of which are normally held in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. But when it is desired to lock the machine against being operated it is only necessary to move this member down into the position illustrated in full lines in said Fig. 1, whereby the cam 37 rides under the projecting portion 34 of the pawl arm 32 causing the pawl to firmly press and bite the stamp strip againstthe table absolutely preventing the strip from belng. withdrawn and the arm 38 is moved up directly back of the downwardly projecting lever 14 thereby positively movement whatever of the thereover, and means for locking said pawl to prevent a further forward movement of said strip.

2. In a stampafiixing machine, a table a plurality of reciprocating fingers for feed mg a strip of stamps over said table, a pivotally held spring actuated pawl normally pressing said strip lightly to said table to prevent a backward movement of the strip when the fingers are drawn back thereover, an arm connected to said pawl, and means adapted to engage said arms to cause said pawl to bind said strip to the table to prevent a further forward movement of said strip.

3. In a stamp afiixing machine, a table, a plurality of reciprocating fingers for feedlng a strip of stamps over said table, a pivotally held spring actuated pawl normally pressing said-strip lightly to said table to prevent a backward movement of the strip when the fingers are drawn back thereover, an arm connected to said pawl, and a cam adapted to be moved into engagement with said arm to cause said pawl to-bind said strip to the table to prevent a further forward movement of said strip..

4. In a stamp aiiixing machine a table, means for feeding a strip of'stamps over said table. a pivotally held spring actuated pawl normally pressing said strip lightly to said table to prevent a backward movement thereof, an arm connected to said pawl, and means adapted to engage said arm to cause said pawl to bind said strip to the table to prevent a further forward move- 'ment of said strip, said means also locking said feeding mechanism against further movement.

5. In a stamp afiixing machine, a table, a plurality of reciprocating fingers actuated by a swinging arm for feeding a strip ofv 'said means also looking said actuating arm against further movement.

6. In a stamp affixing machine, a table, a plurahty of pivotally held reciprocatory fingers for feeding a strip of stamps over In testimony whereof I afiix my signaturesfiid tallolle, each ofl 1said fingers lilaving a 1111016 in presence of two witnesses. t roug it norma in line wit each 0t er, a single flexible Wil smaller than said holes FRED ALLEN 5 and passing therethrough, and a single Witnesses:

spring attached to said wire for exerting a HOWARD E. BARLOW, tension on all of said fingers. E. I. OGDEN. 

